


Imperceptible

by ObtuseOctopus



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Gems Won the War AU, Human Experimentation, Human Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:55:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29895945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObtuseOctopus/pseuds/ObtuseOctopus
Summary: Homeworld has succeeded in taking over Earth. The Crystal Gems were destroyed, the new colony is underway, and humans? They’re now workers beneath Gem society, treated lowlier than Pearls.Peridot 2F5L-5XG was recently promoted as a lead technician in her squadron. One certain human however may pose as a threat to her promotion being permanent.... Humans normally don’t have sharp teeth, right? Peridot swore that she had seen those dark brown eyes suddenly turn blue for just a second.
Relationships: Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. The Human

“Three new humans… all now vaccinated and given their attire. One is female, the other two are male.”

“You’ve heard about that female though, right? Is she the one from the…?”

“The Southern beaches, yes. I don’t like the way she looks at me.”

Peridot did her best to tune out the other two technicians, not wanting to get involved in more gossip. The last time she did, she had ended up arguing for more than seventy two hours on end until her superior had decided to shut them all up. … It almost led to a shattering.  _ All of that over a simple miscalculation…. _

“I heard she has a temper. Maybe they’ll just send her off to Homeworld itself and have her work on the Kindergartens or something.”

“My bets are she gets sent off to a quartz. They’ll straighten her out.”

“If she’s that feisty, why not just have her immediately killed?”

“She could be useful. She’s stronger than other females that were tested. Maybe later down the road, they’ll have her mother some offspring or something. I hear the Diamonds were looking into the sciences of genetics to produce good quality humans. Hopefully less annoying and more… durable. I hate it when they starve themselves like it’s gonna make a point.”

Humans. It was all she ever heard about nowadays. Ever since the Earth had been taken, it was human this and human that. While most had been destroyed since they were just pests in the way of the new colony, some had been kept for work and company. The more beautiful ones were sent off to be akin to pearls or to provide entertainment. The stronger ones often were sent to do heavy work and lifting. So on and so forth… The Diamonds were making great use of what used to be their enemy. Now, humans were just as lowly as pearls if not lower.

The issue was when humans showed too much of their emotions or aggressiveness, however. Sure, they found out now how to make some drop their pathetic act, but some still showed signs of rebellion and had to be immediately dispatched. It was all for the good of the developing colony, and for the good of all Gemkind. Humans were organic, replaceable. They weren’t able to live for long, but any ounce of what they could offer was sucked out of them before their lifespan was done.

_ And to think that some clods actually feel sorry for these humans…  _ She had heard of it- the Rebellion. Gems who had  _ fought  _ to defend Earth because they cared about these low lives, only to be ultimately destroyed and crushed. Any who shared similar sympathy to these lowly creatures faced similar fates to preserve the growing Gem legacy. There was no room for weakness, and surely no room for hippies or activists. The changes were here to stay, and the winning of the war on Earth was going to be marvelous. Work had started immediately once the Gem army had beaten all human defenses. The Earth’s resources were drained, and colony work began. This new colony would be called Sector One in the Milky Way. It had more luxurious places than Homeworld or most other colonies, and it would for years provide healthy Kindergartens and materials.  _ Once it’s all drained, perhaps they can just transform the entire place into another laboratory… I am SICK of hearing all this chatter. CHATTER CHATTER CHATTER!!!  _

Just recently, Peridot 25FL-5XG had been given the honor of ranking up in her squadron. She was now proud  _ lead _ technician, and she oversaw a squadron consisting of seven other peridots. She still had a superior to answer to, but her life became a piece of candy. She had a few quartzes also at her beck and call, and soon if she was lucky enough, perhaps a pearl if she did good enough work. It was easy work, to be frank. They were responsible for watching and ensuring that new humans coming into Gem territories were ready to be sent off to their tasks, as well as calculating and creating new technology that would benefit the entire galaxy. Things such as portable communicators or new communication hubs, limb enhancers and weapon ideas to be sent off to bismuths down in forges, building blueprints and more. 

Peridot grumbled, continuing to type away at her workstation.  _ Three new humans… wooooowwww HOW NEW WE TOTALLY DON’T GET THIS SORT OF NEWS A LOT!!!  _ She rolled her eyes.  _ I’ll just assign someone else to finish off their testing and choose a site for them to get sent to… I’m too busy for this. _

“SHE BIT ME!”

Peridot’s eyes popped out of her head. She whipped around in her seat, almost losing balance as she did so to see who was approaching. “2AD?” She recognized the Gem from her squadron. It was impossible not to- she was the only peridot with a ridiculous bob cut. 

“SHE BIT ME! THAT… FEMALE HUMAN!” The lime-colored Gem sniffled as she ran into the room.

“Let me see,” Peridot requested, stepping away from her work. “Human bites aren’t that-“ she paused when she saw the wound upon the other, “-... bad…” It looked deep, and was surely a bit more than the usual bites or scratches that she had seen from difficult humans.  _ This one must be super ticked off… HAH, yeah, I’m so not dealing with that one human. Everyone else can do that instead. _

“Am I gonna die?!?” 2AD panicked. “I’m bleeding-!” Blood was a concept to Gems that was more of just as an indication of how deep a crack on the surface was to their form. It wasn’t life-threatening. They couldn’t die from bleeding out of course nor did they even bleed much, so it was ridiculous to even imagine a bleeding Gem being in any danger unless she was suffering from glitches to her form. Blood was more for  _ organic _ life. Now those could die from too much blood loss, as was seen with some unfortunate humans back on the battlefields… Besides, Gem blood was  _ different _ . It was glittery like the nebulas, near transparent too and very thin as it didn’t carry any oxygen or anything special. Sometimes nutrients like salts or other material, but that was besides the point. Organic blood and Gem blood were different, that was that. Gem blood was… a sort of  _ display _ , as Peridot thought of it.

“You’re not gonna die,” Peridot huffed in a matter-of-factly tone. “No Gem has ever died from something simple like that.”  _ But I’d believe if you were the first _ . 

_ To think that being a lead technician didn’t come with any cons… UGH. It’s the dream but I’m tired of babysitting these other peridots sometimes. I worked hard to get where I am now! Oh, I know- I’ll ask the quartzes to help see to the new human batch. Maybe then I’ll hear less gossip and crying and whining… We can get further on our current projects too-: _

“You’re lucky she was vaccinated,” laughed another peridot. “You could’ve gotten rabies from her!”

“Humans don’t have ra-“ Peridot decided to shut up before she started a fuss, “-just make your form regenerate itself and get back to your assignment.”  _ If it wasn’t for me, these clods would be all over the place… _

“What about the human though? Our Diamond won’t like-“

“I’ll examine her myself and then see what our Diamond wants to do with her. Are the other two ready to be sent off?”  _ Just please stop talking you’re ANNOYING ME. _

2AD nodded. “It’s just the female… she gives me nightmares,” she whispered like she was traumatized.

_ It’s just a HUMAN. YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS! Humans are near NOTHING compared to a species of higher intelligence and technology! It’s why we won their planet!! THIS IS INSANITY!!! _

Peridot sighed, summoning a screen in front of her using her limb enhancers. She called two quartzes over, typical Amethysts to be exact. “Subdue the female human in the hold location so that I can further examine her. You two-“ she pointed to 2AD and another peridot, “- see to it that the other two humans are sent off.”  _ They won’t leave me be until this is dealt with… I hate humans…  _

_ This is going to damper my work schedule for today… _

_ I’m surrounded by clods. _


	2. The Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First encounters.

_She looks hideous._ Peridot’s brow arched as she stepped into the secure hold, the automatic door behind her locking shut right away with the key being a passcode that only she and other Gems knew. Although the room was small and the human had been properly chained up, she could just about see the seething rage that was plastered across the female’s face.

_Oh I’m sure that you aren’t happy. Tough luck, human. This is our world now._

The human had wavy black hair that trailed down to her shoulders, eyes brown as blackened mud and skin like ambered honey. She also wore the familiar attire assigned to all humans; a long sleeved gray jumpsuit with her numbers written in white on the upper right arm.Nothing special about her. She seemed like the average human from the area that she had been originally relocated from. Peridot stood in front of her, staying a good distance away from her local proximity just in case. She looked to the digital screen that formed from her limb enhancers for information about her. “You should think about cooperating with me here,” she said, “I’ve heard that you’re a troublemaker, and those sorts of humans don’t get far. Now-“

“Oh, screw you,” the human interrupted.

Peridot paused. “... Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Go fuck yourself.”

Peridot blinked. _I have no idea what she’s talking about, but she sounds extremely angry. Is she threatening me? If she’s threatening me, I’ll send the quartzes in to take over for me. You lose either way, human!_ “You’re from that southern beach area on Sector One.”

“Earth,” the human muttered.

Peridot was losing her patience here. “... F-416-“

“Reduce me to a number all you like, but I’ll never respond to it,” the human hissed.

_I am so close to just sending her off to a quartz’s quarters… They can beat some sense into her for all I care…_

Peridot did her best to continue. “... Vaccinated, tested, confirmed for leave and given the proper human attire, F-416, you’re supposed to be sent off soon to receive your tasks. But you’re complicating things by committing insanity such as _biting_ one of my squadron’s arms. I’m considering calling in a quartz or two. They ought to correct your behavior.”

“Go ahead,” the human growled, making a display of showing off her laughably flat and harmless teeth. How did she manage to bite so deep into a member of her squadron with teeth like that? “But I’m not giving up until I find my sisters. Where did you put them?! You separated them from me when you came and kidnapped us all-!”

“Kidnap?” Peridot wheezed under her breath. “It’s called humane _relocating_ so that you can live better lives with our guidance. Otherwise, would you have preferred being destroyed? I can arrange that if that’s more of your preference.”

_I never even knew humans could growl like that. It sounds like a Gem that’s gone completely feral or a Gem that’s lost her mind…_ Long, long, long ago, Gems were wild before the Diamonds had introduced proper class and took to their thrones. Now Gems had etiquette and order, a grand system to top it off too.

“Destroy me if you like. You’d be doing me a favor,” the human dared, puffing out her cheeks before she spat a small blob of saliva at the green Gem.

“OH DISGUSTING-! You-! That was DISGUSTING! What is _wrong_ with you?!” Peridot grimaced, wiping off the spit from her leg. 

“Where are they? Where. Are. My. Sisters?” The human demanded.

_This is mediocre… I don’t even know what she’s talking about!! How did she manage to spit on me like that?!?! Had she aimed higher she would’ve hit my face!!!! SHE COULD HAVE CONTAMINATED ME!!_

Peridot bared her teeth unhappily. “... I’m requesting backup in the secure hold from any nearby quartzes on standby-“ she said into her screen. _This is frustrating. I’m not dealing with this anymore._

* * *

  
  


“So how was she? That human girl,” 6FP asked as she managed to calm down 2AD. They had returned from sending off the other two humans, content and ready for another assignment whenever they were assigned one.

“I got sick of her antics and called for the quartzes to take over for me,” Peridot said as she reclaimed her seat at her workstation. “She expelled her saliva on me.”

6FP cringed. “That’s disgusting.”

“All she kept blabbing about was something about sisters! What even are those!? She accused us of kidnapping her! She said that the name we gave her she wouldn’t respond to! How are we supposed to intermingle her into the rest of the humans if she could spark a revolution?!” Peridot ranted. “I need a quartz to break her, even for just a second. She cannot be allowed to keep thinking that she has any power over us. We’re the ones in power! We won the war! Us! Gems!”

“Did she bite you too?!” 2AD fretted.

“No! I was careful to not step foot near her. That job is for a quartz,” Peridot hummed. “I’ll send today’s reports in and see what Demantoid thinks first.” _Because if I go straight to my Diamond, what if she finds me incapable of controlling ONE slobbering human by myself?! I’m a lead technician now! I have to stay on top and prove my worth!_

“You sound like a Diamond. I like it,” 6FP commented.

“Why, thank you!” Peridot took the praise whole-heartedly, her voice even cracking in the process as she thanked the dark green peridot. _At least someone here can respect me…_

  
  


* * *

  
  


It was a rather quick response from the superior when it came to the situation with the human. Peridot half-expected to be given a medal for being as brave as going directly into the secure hold by herself, but all she received was disappointment. 

“- if even ONE human continues to be stubborn, then the Diamonds would see us as incapable!” Demantoid scolded Peridot, pacing back and forth in the room. “Our unit will be seen as a failure!”

“I sent some quartzes in-“ Peridot said.

“Which would further prove that the human is an issue if even some quartzes can't straighten her out! If we cannot get her under control, all of us could lose our positions! Even the toughest humans can be broken, and I’ll be a nebula’s aunt if that human gets the upper hand of us!” Her superior cut her off, clearly cross. 

_At least we both are on the same thought level… We’re both worried about how the Diamonds will react to this… But I did the right thing sending in the quartzes!! You weren’t even there!! You would’ve been just as disappointed in me if I HADN’T sent any quartzes in… Clod._

“5XG!” Demantoid slammed her limb enhancer onto the table, startling Peridot.

“Yes ma’am!” Peridot saluted to attention.

“This female can dampen our image. It doesn’t help that her strength can contribute to our society. The Diamonds might not like it if we lost her.” Demantoid thought for a moment, arms behind her back.

Peridot blinked, awkwardly looking side to side. “Sooo… what should I-?”

“I’ll ask our Diamond for a stronger quartz to help equally sort her out before we go to any further extent or record it as possible losses. I want you to be there and see to it that she actually starts to cave in and accept her place.” 

_This wouldn’t be so bad if you were Yellow Diamond herself but now I’m just annoyed… I’m a LEAD technician. HELLO?!!? WHY DO I HAVE TO OVERSEE EVERYTHING? Why can’t I do what you do and sit back and relax while everyone else reports back to me?!?_ Peridot grimaced. “Yes, Demantoid.”

“Good. You’re dismissed.” Demantoid waved her away.

Peridot rolled her eyes as soon as she left the room. _Although I’m just a smidge rank higher than my previous rank, it’s like I’m hardly promoted at all…_

_What sort of stronger quartz does Demantoid mean anyway? Stars help me that this human eventually snaps and I can resume my usual work. I’m not made to look after some filthy humans..._


End file.
